Sean Dooley

But surely that can't be the only reason.

There's other thoughts that they can actually smell the rain, maybe the petrichor smell.

We often underestimate the bird's sense of smell.

Other reasons, for instance, for pelicans, how they end up in Lake Eyre is it might be that they are sending scouts up constantly and pelicans can cruise to very high altitudes and they're very efficient in those thermals in flying.

So in terms of not much energy expenditure, they're constantly sending birds out that are seeing what's over the horizon.

So it might be a combination of all of those things.

What's more fascinating is something like the budgerigar, which is a famous nomad.

And it will have these eruptions in areas in the deserts that have had really good rains.

A few weeks later, whether it's the spin effects or the other types of grasses in the desert will start to flower and then produce seed.

And then the budgies are right in there.

There's water to drink, there's food to feast on, and they will breed like crazy while they do it.

But they don't send up scouts, you know, thousands of feet into the air.

So how do they know where to go?

And I think, really, it could be all those combinations of the senses that they're using to interpret the landscape.

But I really think it has to do with that ancient wisdom that is embodied in the flock and that they do have general movements in a way and budgies will stay put as long as there's enough food.

And so if it's good conditions year on year, you'll get them staying in the one district for several years.

But there is a general movement.

Obviously, they've learned over tens of thousands of years or more.

There's a general movement south as the climate warms up, as the summer approaches.

And I suppose that makes sense because the inland is going to start drying out, not as much water, more likely to be later seeding grasses further south.